But the 53-year-old was told by staff that they couldn’t help and told him to try Thornaby Central Library over the road or the Five Lamps Centre - two miles away.

Mr Murray, of Seamer Road, Thornton, who is looking for contract work in power stations, said: “It just seems crazy to me.

“I just went to fax a certificate to an agency regarding looking for work and the girl at the front desk said she couldn’t do it. At first she asked if it was regarding a benefits inquiry and I said, no, it’s for work.

“I said, ‘it’s a job centre isn’t it? Where you help people look for work?’ But she said again they couldn’t do it.

“I was a bit taken aback. I thought the idea of a Jobcentre was to help people get back into work. All I wanted was this certificate faxed off to an agency,”

The Department for Work and Pensions said: “Although the Jobcentre doesn’t have fax facilities for customers, the nearby library and Five Lamps Centre offers free access to the internet, photocopying and free computer tuition in addition to a fax service.”